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    From the Events Calendar

    Houston's Halloween horror story: Your cheat sheet to the ghoulish season

    Carolina Astrain
    Oct 22, 2010 | 12:31 pm
    • The Amazing Living Theatre guarantees unusual scares.
    • Who wouldn't enjoy an evening walk with the undead in Montrose?
      Photo by SMercury98 (via Flickr)
    • Macy Gray headlines Ghoulfest.
      Photo by Giuliano Bekor
    • Because dogs like treats too.
      Photo by Jacksonpe (via Flickr)

     Editor's note: Listings editor Carolina Astrain will write a regular feature, where she spotlights things pulled from CultureMap's extensive events calendar. First up: A guide to Halloween in Houston.

    Last Halloween I flew from Missouri to Houston after developing reactive arthritis (and yes, you can develop arthritis at the age of 21 — all you need is an impressive amount of luck). Horrifying enough for you?

    Despite my temporary crippling condition, my Halloween spirit endured. I boarded a Southwest flight dressed as Peter Pan: boy who could fly, but not walk.

    So, how lucky are you feeling this Halloween season? Don't do it alone.

    Here is CultureMap's curated list of 11 ghoulish parties and events you should make a point of hitting up.

    1. Nightmare on the Bayou (all month)
    Get wide-eyed chills, hear local ghost stories and be scared while exploring Houston’s oldest graveyard. Terrain is rough, leave your wussy footwear and attitude at home.

    Cost: $30-40

    2. 13 on the 31st with CultureMap (Oct. 31)
    Let’s face it, sometimes it's your civic duty to be an unapologetic snob and ditch the kids stuff. Celsius and CultureMap team up for a sophisticated Halloween featuring themes from Day of the Dead. Promiscuous nurses welcomed, skeletons cherished.

    Cost: Whatever you eat and drink. There is no admission charge.

    3. Ghoulsfest (Oct. 30)
    Obnoxiously adorable hipsters, a skate park and a slate of indie bands including Macy Gray, Girl in A Coma, Bad Brains and Hot Chip DJs? Sounds like my kind of Halloween weekend.

    Cost: $45-50

    4. Montrose Crawl (Oct. 30)
    Put on your best slutty costume (because you know you want to wear one at least once this spooky season) and gallop through Montrose's bar scene. The crawl starts at Brasil and stops at nine different bars (including Anvil, Poison Girl, Etro Lounge) along Westheimer. The crawl runs 4/5 of a mile and a finalist is picked at each stop for a costume contest that ends with a judging at Slick Willie's.

    Cost: There is no cover charge.

    5. Orange Show Pumpkin Carving (Saturday)
    A BYOP (Bring your own pumpkin) workshop. Rub shoulders with other crafty residents of Houston and carve out the beginnings of a great Halloween season.

    Cost: Free

    6. Zombie Walk Houston (Saturday)
    Get your “Thriller” on and join other Houstonians in a cavalcade of corpses through Montrose, with an after party at Lucky’s Pub. It's exactly what it sounds like. You dress up like a zombie and walk — with proceeds going to charity.

    Cost: $10

    7. Amazing Living Theatre (Friday and Saturday night)
    In the mood for a little danger? This show takes a look at illegal freak shows and reveals secrets of the now forbidden craft in the back alleys and crumbling theatrical venues of a faux post-apocalyptic Houston of 2020.

    Cost: $10

    8. Howl-O-Ween Pet Costume Contest (Saturday)
    Love your pooches too much to leave them at home? No fear! Slip Rufus into his best costume and enter him into this pet costume contest at Memorial City Mall, with a $500 grand prize.

    Keep the kids entertained with face painting, Boo bags and pumpkin decorating.

    Cost: Free

    9. Dracula on the Green (Oct. 31)
    Feel the chills on Halloween night by watching this 1930s horror classic movie, staring Bela Lugosi at Miller Outdoor Theatre. Dracula came out in 1931.

    Costumes and candy are encouraged — Transylvanian accents too.

    Cost: Free

    10. Haunted Hotel in Galveston (all month)
    Wanna skip town? Check into Hotel Galvez and for a ghost tour that includes brunch, a three-course dinner and spa treatment. Who says Halloween can’t be glamorous? Shouldn't ever scare come with a soothing spa?

    Cost: $179-189

    11. ScreamWorld (all month) In a world full of haunted houses, ScreamWorld puts the scary back into the tradition. This is much more Saw IV than Disney's Haunted Mansion.

    Cost: $25

    unspecified
    news/city-life

    Flood Relief News

    Houston company gives back with free cleanings for Hill County families

    Natalie Grigson
    Jul 15, 2025 | 4:34 pm
    Cotton Holdings restoration team
    Photo courtesy of Cotton Holdings
    Cotton Holdings Restoration Station team helping residents in Central Texas.

    Cotton Holdings, a Houston-based disaster relief company, has been on the ground daily in Central Texas since the July 4 floods, clearing debris and cleaning up spaces. The company has deployed two "Restoration Station" vans, fully equipped with cleaning teams and professional-grade supplies, to help people recover and preserve their belongings.

    For residents of Kerrville, Hunt, and Comfort, this service is being offered free of charge through July 19.

    Residents in these areas can schedule a free two-hour appointment to have family heirlooms, jewelry, collectibles, or other keepsakes and valuables that may have been damaged by the floods professionally cleaned and restored.

    The website notes that Cotton Holdings is currently only accepting "hard, nonporous items," and recommends throwing away soft belongings that were damaged in the floods. Some of the items they'll accept include:

    • Wood furniture
    • Sculptures
    • Mirrors
    • Jewelry
    • Dinnerware
    • Musical instruments
    • TVs
    • Gaming devices

     Cotton Holdings item cleaning Most items can be cleaned within 15 minutes, a press release says.Photo courtesy of Cotton Holdings

    Each home visit includes two hours of cleaning, plus a dedicated team member to offer emotional support, according to a press release.

    "This effort aims to preserve treasured memories and renew hope within the community during this challenging time," says the release.

    Aside from its work in Central Texas, Cotton Holdings has been at the forefront of disaster relief across the country since its founding in 1996. They've recently helped residents in the California wildfires and in Asheville, North Carolina, post-Hurricane Helene.

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